Depth of Devotion
by Doruntrus
Summary: What happens when there isn't a happy ending for the hero? Link decides to find his lost friend, no matter what. Set in the Twilight Princess time.
1. Prologue: Every end is a beginning

"Link." A single sparkling tear made its way down the Twilight Princess' face, slipping off her cheek to drift in front of her, bobbing ever so slightly. Link, his smile starting to fade, was about to ask his friend what was wrong when she continued where she had trailed off. "I..." Reaching out a hand, she gently pushed the tear toward the mirror. "See you later." Link could tell that there was definitely something wrong.

He and Princess Zelda gasped when they heard a crackling sound, turning to find that the tear had met the mirror. Link gasped again, with more than a hint of panic, as he turned back around to watch the Twilight Princess as she ran lightly up the glowing white steps that had appeared, her simple dress and cloak trailing after her. In that moment, as the first cracks spread across the mirror's polished surface, so did those same flaws appear in Link's heart and soul. Unable to figure out what was happening, and yet already whispering the answer in the darkest corners of his mind, he watched his twilight girl, his Midna, smile sadly as she started to disappear. He watched as she was carried away, desperately trying to catch one last glimpse of her before she vanished completely into the portal of endless rings, into infinity it seemed, leaving him to sink into oblivion. Seconds later, as the mirror shattered and the portal faded away, leaving a huge slab of unyielding stone where moments before there had been endless promise and joy, he knew with terrible certainty that his adventure was over, and he no longer cared that his heart lay in glittering fragments along with the Mirror of Twilight.

Zelda could offer no words of comfort to Link as her suspicions were confirmed, and the Twilight Princess broke the only connection between the two realms. She understood completely though, as this prevented the two worlds from harming each other inadvertently. She also understood just how painful it had to be for Midna and Link; she could only hope that he, too, would come to understand Midna's decision with time.

The green-clad hero slowly shuffled over small mounds of sand, making his way up onto the small platform; he came to a stop next to where the mirror had stood, his boots crunching shards of the once powerful magical artifact. As the wind hummed mournfully through the tall pillars of that place, he merely gazed at the space that Midna had last occupied, as if he could call her back through sheer willpower alone. He finally turned to the mirror stand, and, seeing a glittering object at its base, bent down to find the tear that had destroyed his heart. Next to it was the largest shard of the mirror left, only measuring five inches in length, and having edges as sharp as his grief as he gripped it and the tear tightly in shaky hands.


	2. Chapter 1: What now?

Zelda sighed contentedly as she gazed up at the clouds floating across the bright blue expanse above. They had stopped at her insistence for rest and a bite to eat before leaving Lake Hylia, even though Link had seemed more than ready to rush all the way back to Castle Town.

She sighed again, but in annoyance this time. Not usually a talkative person, Link had been unusually quiet and withdrawn since they had left the Mirror Chamber. She couldn't see why he was so depressed. Both Ganondorf and Zant were dead and gone(something his predecessor hadn't been able to do, a fact that Link should have been proud of), there were no more monstrous creatures attempting to kill him, and both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm had been returned to normal. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating the defeat of the two usurpers, with perfect temperatures and a mild breeze. It just didn't seem natural to mourn the loss of one friend so soon after the fact. At least Midna was alive and well, even if she was in another realm.

She was about to point this out when Link stood up suddenly, brushing himself off and adjusting his sword.

"We should get going if we want to be back before dark," he mumbled, refusing to meet her gaze. Zelda huffed as she got to her feet with a helping hand from him.

"I don't understand why you're in such a hurry to get back. Seems that you would want to take your time after rushing around everywhere for so long. Almost makes me think you're trying to get rid of me." She smiled at that last bit, thinking that a bit of humor would get him to do likewise.

"I'm sorry Princess. We can slow down if you want." His look of utter despair, which he was unable to hide completely, made her change her mind about trying to cheer him up. Obviously something was hurting him, something that he didn't want to talk about. Thinking, it dawned on her. Of course! All the signs were there, she'd just failed to read them. Mentally smacking herself at her own callousness, she tried to approach the subject from a different angle.

"I heard that Ilia was extremely grateful to you for restoring her memory. I'll bet that she'll be happy to see you." Link's disgruntled expression only served to further confirm her suspicions. Before he could ask her where she had found out about Ilia, Zelda started in again. "So, if you're not pining for the girl from Ordon, then whom _is_ our hero lost in thought over?" Mentally grinning, she only just managed to keep a straight face as Link blushed, his melancholy temporarily burned away. "What makes you think I'm 'pining', as you so aptly put it, for anyone. Maybe I'm just tired after all the fighting and death. I'm just tired of it all." As her previous amusement vanished, Zelda could hear a bit of the truth in his words. Even so, she knew that the vanishment of Midna had played a far greater role in his current state that any battle ever could.

As the two exited Falbi's cuckoo house, (having gotten there by being shot from a giant cannon that was concealed by a seemingly innocent house), they each called their respective mounts, Link with his horse call, and Zelda with a small blue ocarina. Link couldn't help but smile as Epona galloped toward them, followed closely by Zelda's beast of a horse; a huge white stallion, taller even than Epona. As they mounted their steeds and headed north at a lullingly slow pace, Link allowed himself to sink into pleasant memories, back to days quite similar to this one, back to conversations made bittersweet by the fact that he would never again talk to her...


	3. Chapter 2: Memories of yesterday

"Don't you think it's time we got going?" Midna put her hands on her hips as she floated just above the ground in front of Link.

"Nope." Link just sighed in relief as he laid back in the grass of South Hyrule Field. The chill that had seemed to settle into his bones up on Snowpeak only now seemed to be dispelling. "We don't know where to go next anyway." Midna leaned toward him, slightly indignant that he could just relax and lay around with all of Hyrule in danger, not to mention her own kingdom. As she pointed all this out to him, her flame-red hair twitching at times to emphasize certain points, he had to smile a little inside.

"What are you smirking at!? This is very serious!" Startled from his thoughts, he saw that she had floated up next to his head. He cut her off before she could start in again.

"Besides the fact that we have no idea where to go next, I was just assaulted by a yeti covered in ice, who attempted to squish me. I'm hurting in places I didn't even know you _could _hurt. And I'm still cold." Midna had to giggle at that memory. Even though it had been a deadly serious business, just seeing his face as he tried to avoid a falling yeti while running on ice had been priceless. Not to mention the fact that he kept getting knocked on his ass by Yeto.

Watching her laugh at his misfortune, Link decided that maybe things weren't so bad. After all, he had gotten to go on a grand adventure, with a fiery yet cute imp as his companion.

He scoffed mentally at the term 'imp'. It implied that she was some ugly, disgusting creature, which she seemed to view herself as. Maybe he would be able to change her mind yet, though. He patted a patch of grass next to him.

"Why don't you sit down and relax for a while yourself. You might actually like it." Seeing that he wasn't planning on moving for a while, she reluctantly obliged, but decided to rest her head on his side. "So, if this isn't your natural form, then what do you look like normally?" He watched her quizzically as she studied the clouds, perhaps looking for an answer that lay hidden among them.

"It's hard to explain, since you've never seen a Twili. I guess we look basically the same as you; you know, two arms, two legs..." She then flashed a toothy and mischievous grin at him. "I think I'll just let you wait and see." Mentally, though, she worried that he would find her repulsive, as he no doubt found her current form.

At that moment, another idea struck Link as he propped himself up on an elbow. "Do you realize that I've never seen you without your helmet on? Do you mind...?" Link trailed off as he looked at her hopefully.

"Weeelll...," Midna, seeing no harm in it, turned her back to him as she proceeded to remove her stone headgear. Turning back, she blushed slightly as both his sapphire eyes met both of her red and gold ones for the first time. She waited nervously as he studied her face expressionlessly. Finally, just as she was about to put her Fused Shadow back on in shame, he suddenly smiled broadly and lay back, putting his arms around her and dragging her into a hug. As she struggled violently to get away, he had to laugh.

"I don't know why you wear that mask! You look so nice without it." As he finally let her go, she floated back a few inches, glaring at him suspiciously before settling back into her previous spot.

"You must have some ugly girls around your village." But she hesitated before she could put the helmet back on. The wind and sun felt _so _nice. "I just feel naked without it." Midna fingered the intricate designs on the headpiece absently. Link looked over at her in surprise.

"I didn't think you wore clothes." Midna turned a slight shade of red at this.

"I normally do, but they're unnecessary in this... form. Besides which, its impossible to find clothes that match my proportions, and any tailor would probably run screaming if I popped up and asked him to fit me for clothes." Link frowned and fingered the pommel of the Master Sword, which currently lay at his side, without realizing it.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Midna took this unexpected statement in with surprise, shivering as the day seemed to grow momentarily chillier when Link glowered. Woe be to the one who got in his way when he got in one of his protective moods. Even so, this was the first time she had seen him get so agitated at so trivial a problem. She decided to let the matter drop, and continued to watch the clouds. "Why do you consider yourself so ugly?" Midna turned to look at Link, surprised at the direct bluntness as well as the nature of the question. Instead of answering him though, she smacked him on the stomach, eliciting a grunt of surprise.

"I like you better in your wolf form. You don't ask so many questions, and you listen better. You human's don't seem to have very good hearing." Link looked ready to protest this point, but before he could, Midna thought of something else. "Besides which, I get a free ride." As she grinned suggestively at him and winked, the poor hero turned a deep shade of red. "You're as easy to manipulate now as when we first met," the imp laughed as she jumped to her feet and into the air, floating a couple feet overhead as she transformed her companion into his lupine form without warning.

As he flipped over and stretched, she thought about the three things that always stayed the same no matter what form he took: the small earrings he wore as an Ordonian tradition, the Triforce tattoo on his hand, and his feral blue eyes, which seemed capable of staring down any foe and cutting through even the most tangled webs of deceit, while at the same time able to lend comfort with the slightest glance.

As Midna dwelled on Link's eyes, he took the time spent stretching to also look surreptitiously at his friend. He was still fascinated by the softly glowing blue runes that covered her arms and legs, and the smoke-like swirling black and grey of her skin. Not to mention her ponytail, which matched her eyes and had almost literally a mind of its own.

Finished stretching, he made it obvious that he was watching her, which caused her to snap out of her private reverie and plop down onto his back, getting comfortable for the long journey ahead. As they started out, she leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "See what I was talking about?" Instead of becoming embarrassed again, Link matched her wolfish grin with one of his own. Leaping forward with a bark, he would've laughed if he'd had the necessary vocal cords, as Midna gasped and was almost bounced right off his back. As the imp clutched at the hero's shaggy fur, the pair moved across the fields, never realizing that their light banter was an indicator of emotions that had their start on the shores of Lanayru's spring, emotions that neither would truly come to fully appreciate and understand till it was too late.

_Authors Note- Sorry for the short chapters and wacky paragraphs. I'm kinda new to writing. I have a new chapter almost ready to go up, and its a little bit longer. If I can get a couple reviews I'll finish it. Thanks for reading._


	4. Chapter 3: Everyone has their dark side

Link was rudely snapped back to the present as his reflexes, honed to an almost god-like speed, kicked in, and he jerked back on his horse, a strange black arrow cutting through the air where his head had just been. The lingering pleasant feeling of running on all fours, wind rushing through his hair, disappeared, replaced by wariness as he back flipped off Epona. Even though it felt like hours had passed, only a few minutes had, as they were still in the vicinity of Lake Hylia, under the huge weathered tree stump that straddled the road south of the Great Hylian Bridge. Looking around, Link could see nothing but shadows as a low, familiar laugh issued from an area behind him. Whipping around, he saw that there was nobody there, either. He searched the upper reaches of the vaulted ceiling created by the tree as the eerily familiar voice issued from there.

"You don't catch on very quickly, do you?" Link furiously racked his brain for where he had heard that voice before. Zelda came to the correct conclusion first though, as she too spun around, wildly searching for the source of the disembodied voice.

"Link, it sounds like you!" As Link continued to look around, he kept his sword sheathed, with his hand clasped inconspicuously around the grip that protruded over his back. Even with the air crackling with tension, he still managed to exude an aura of calmness as he waited for his adversary to show his face. Zelda stiffened, gasping and staring at a point right behind him, as clapping was heard from that same area. As the voice started to speak again, Link executed the most deadly move he'd been taught by the Hero's Shade: the Mortal Draw. Loosing a battle cry, he pulled the Master Sword from it's scabbard, swung, and turned all in one fluid movement, concentrating all his power into the blow. Only to have the Mortal Draw blocked for the first time ever, after all the times he'd used it, by what looked to be a black version of the Master Sword.

As the blades met and sparks flew, there was a brief flash of light and darkness. Black and white combined to leave a gray afterimage temporarily burned into the retinas of the combatants. "Not very friendly, are you?" Link's shadowy counterpart seemed more interested in talking down to him than fighting, as both parties stumbled away to gain some distance until their vision could clear. As Link finally recovered enough to search his opponent out, he experienced a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Apparently, the contact between the two blades had done more than set off that blinding light.

"You can call me Dark Link, or Dark for short. It's what your predecessors knew me by." What looked like a mirror image of Link, cast in darkness, leaned casually against a tree that shouldn't have been there, his black sword thrust into the ground next to him. Except for the small island that the tree rooted in, there was water for as far as the eye could see, which seemed to be only a couple inches deep, fading into the mist that covered the area. Two apparently useless doors stood opposite each other, vertical bars ensuring that neither combatant would use them. As Link looked around in consternation, Dark glanced up from where he was inspecting his fingernails, revealing that his eyes were actually a blood-red. "Now this is poetic. We're in the exact same room that these two blades last met." He chuckled at Link's obvious confusion. "Yes, we are in a room. The endless water is just an illusion." The hero finally managed to regain control of his faculties.

"Where the hell are we then?! What _are_ you?" Dark chuckled again, but suddenly turned business-like as he yanked his sword from the ground.

"You were so eager to fight earlier, so lets fight!"

Link smiled grimly as he heard this. He may have been in an unfamiliar place, brought there under strange circumstances, but in the end, it always boiled down to battling. He grew angry as another thought occurred to him, the reason for his dear friend leaving him becoming clear in a flash of realization. His attention focused outward again, coming to rest on the embodiment of that reason, as he allowed his rage to lend strength and aggressiveness to his movements.

Link pulled his shield off his back, twirling the Master Sword professionally before settling into his too familiar battle stance. He took the time Dark spent slowly advancing to study his opponent, noting the unsure way he held his sword as he splashed through the water. Deciding that his earlier blocking of the Mortal Draw had been a fluke, Link snarled at his counterpart as he started stalking towards him.

"You know what really pisses me off? It's the fact that things like you are the reason my best friend, the person I care about most in this world, had to destroy the only connection between my realm and hers. For that, you bastard, I am going to kill you!" Link charged forward suddenly, closing the last few separating yards in a rush, blade held at his side and slightly behind him. Droplets of water sprayed as he met Dark with a clash, flung into the air by his sword tip as he swung the weapon in an upward arc. Dark just barely managed to deflect the blow, almost losing his sword as he tried to keep from having a leg amputated.

Dark was entirely on the defensive then, not having time to pull his shield free as Link rained punishing blows on him. Link kept moving to his right, his opponent turning to face him as he circled. He side jumped occasionally, to avoid the clumsy stabs directed at him from his apparently inexperienced black-clad enemy.

Deciding to bring this to an end, he stopped attacking and waited for Dark to strike, still circling. He was not disappointed, as the anti-hero sliced at him vertically. As Link side jumped yet again, Dark attempted to catch him off guard, sweeping his sword across in a sad attempt to catch him midair. He connected with nothing but air though, as Link had gone under his sword, rolling as soon as his feet touched the ground. Coming to his feet with a spin behind Dark, he swung his sword as he did so, lifting into the air slightly with the force of the blow; Dark's shield was all that saved him, since it remained on his back. Instead of being brutally cut in half, he was knocked to the ground, just as Link had intended. The hero moved with a cat-like quickness, leaping into the air with the Master Sword pointed down almost before his opponent hit the ground.

The Finishing Blow was another move taught by the Hero's Shade; he had used it on nearly every boss that he fought, even ending Ganondorf's breath with it. All the past memories flashed through his mind in an instant, to be replaced by the visage of the latest monster to be put down using this technique.

Time seemed to slow as Link watched his counterpart roll out from under the falling blade, sparks flying as the Master Sword nicked the shield on Dark's back before slamming into the ground. Both warriors dripped as Dark back flipped to his feet and ran towards his sword, which he had lost while escaping his death, trying to reach it before Link could wiggle his own sword enough to loosen and pull it free of the ground.

As it so happened, they both got their blades back at the same time, Dark scooping his sword up as Link yanked his free of its stone sheath. Link could detect a change in Dark, in the way he held his sword, as if he had been playing earlier. His suspicions were confirmed as Dark twirled his weapon in a perfect imitation of the way Link had earlier, after taking a moment to inspect the small scratch in his shield. "Now that was close."

"I was just screwing with you earlier," the shadowy assailant chuckled, as if at some private joke. "You may have already guessed this, but I'm your opposite in quite a few ways. Or I'm supposed to be, anyway."

Before the hero could ask what he meant by this, Dark whirled into action. Closing the distance between them in moments, he caught Link off guard, backhanding him with his black shield hard enough to send Link stumbling. Dark just stood back and chuckled as Link bent double to stay on his feet. "See, I'm obviously not your opposite when it comes to fighting. In fact, I'd say I'm quite a bit-"

He was cut off as Link straightened suddenly, flinging his enchanted Gale Boomerang. The hero caught his weapon and settled back into a relaxed stance as his counterpart picked himself up from where he'd been blown. "Nice toy you've got there. But I have to say, I'm kinda disappointed. I figured you'd be brave enough to fight me without tricks, even if your predecessor wasn't."

Link just watched Dark serenely as he waited for him to make the next move. "So, who was it that created you? I don't think you ever mentioned."

"It was Ganondorf, obviously," Dark smiled widely before continuing. "And before you ask, yes, I know that he's dead, and no, I will not tell you why I'm harassing you now."

The two then started fighting in earnest. Sparks flew as swords met, both combatants striking with enough force to numb hands. Neither was able to gain an advantage though, and the battle wore on. The two combatants eventually found themselves back at the tree, as they both sought the slight advantage of the island. As broadswords and shields grew heavy, Dark made the first mistake.

As Dark stabbed forward with his sword, Link sidestepped and trapped the anti-hero's hand against the tree, kicking him square in the chest as he did so. As Dark stumbled back with an audible _oof!_, Link took the moment to settle back again and regain his breath.

Breathing heavily, Dark laughed," You're as good as the Hero of Time. Maybe even better. Who taught you?"

Link gave him a wary look. "The Hero's Shade. Who taught you? It's like fighting a mirror." Dark smirked as he sat down and sheathed his sword in one swift motion.

"Why don't we call a truce for a minute. I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Besides which, you could never reach me even if you wanted to." As Link looked at him questioningly, Dark smiled. "I learned a few things from the Hero of Time. I also got a few of my own toys. Deku nuts, actually." As Link sat down in defeat, Dark continued. "When Ganondorf originally created me, he used his magic to make me the polar opposite of the hero. Where he was kind, caring, and basically good, I was evil. Ganon made me to be just like him when it came to fighting, though. Even though we had the same skill, I was supposed to be able to kill him, because I was more vicious than him. Only problem was, his good qualities were what allowed him to gain insight into his enemies, me in this case, and he was able to defeat me."

Link couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "If he killed you, then why are you even here? No offense or anything, but I think I would like you better dead." As Dark glowered at him, Link just smirked and settled back to wait for the rest of the story.

"Well, since you're too stupid to put it together yourself, I'll explain the rest." It was Darks turn to smile as Link seriously considered chopping off his head right there. "The reason that I'm here in front of you is because I get reborn with every hero that comes along. Only thing is, with every hero that has ever come along, I've been defeated. Every time ,Ganondorf gave me more of the hero's qualities. This time, he went too far. He gave me enough of your 'goodness', you might say, that I was able to be something other than evil for once." Dark just leaned back against the tree as Link absorbed what he'd just said.

"So, if you're not evil, which I'm not inclined to believe, then why are you doing this?" Link was having a hard time deciding whether or not to believe him. Before he could make up his mind, Dark jumped to his feet with a wide smile.

"Why, I want to hang out with you! We're practically brothers, for goddesses' sake!" Link just watched Dark warily for tricks as he processed what he'd just been told.

"So let me get this straight. You just ambushed me under a tree, transported me to this place, and we tried to kill each other, and you want to 'hang out'." Dark just nodded, as he smirked at the apparent confusion Link was experiencing.

"Don't think too hard now. I don't believe you heroes are very well equipped to do that." Despite this last comment, Link's forgiving nature won out and he sighed.

"Fine. But don't think I'm not going to watch my back." The smirk on Dark's face seemed to be permanently plastered there as he helped Link to his feet. "Well, you said you've been in here before. How did you get out last time?" Dark's face finally became serious as he looked around himself.

"Since you apparently weren't listening, I'll repeat myself. The Hero of Time defeated me. I never really left. Also, I didn't plan for us to end up here." As Dark talked, Link walked over to one of the doors. On closer inspection, he could see that even though the bars over the door looked new, the door itself was rusted completely through.

"I think a bomb would take care of this door, but we're still blocked in."

"You don't have to shout." Dark chuckled as Link jumped and whirled around. "If you can take care of the door, I can slip through. The room should unlock if you're the only one in here." Link gave him a curious look as he motioned for Dark to follow him away from the door.

"How do you expect to get out? I'm pretty sure neither of us is skinny enough to fit through those bars." As Link took his bow out and strung it, Dark chuckled.

"Well, if you don't remember, when we were under that tree, I was speaking from the shadows. What I can do is occupy shadows. If I can see it, I can jump to it." As Dark finished, Link pulled an arrow from his quiver, stuck a bomb on it, lit it, and shot the door. As the bomb arrow connected with the door, it exploded, causing the door to collapse in a shower of rust. Fresh air blew from the opening as the two walked over to inspect Link's handiwork.

"Nice arrows you got there." Dark whistled appreciatively as he stepped forward and looked for a shadow on the other side. As Link watched, he seemed to disappear from existence with a _pop_ of air taking the space he'd just occupied. Seconds later, the bars lifted into the wall, and Link stepped into a slightly larger room. As he looked around, Dark's voice issued from Link's shadow.

"I think I'll just catch a free ride. You're the hero, so you should be able to find your way out." Link just sighed as he set about making his way across the room.

--

As Link emerged into what he assumed was the main room, the nagging feeling he'd had for a while finally emerged as a question.

"If you had that ability when you fought the Hero of Time, then why didn't you defeat him? It would be pretty hard to defend against that." As Dark popped out of his shadow, he pointed at the water that lapped at the ledge that they were on.

"The entrance to this place is down there. I just hope you can hold your breath for a long time." In response, Link activated his Zora Armour, but didn't dive in.

"Well?" Dark looked sheepish as he activated a dark copy of Link's suit.

"I actually didn't have that ability when I fought your predecessor. It showed up in the last few days." Link realized he had a puzzle on his hands when he heard this. Instead of saying anything more, he just dived in and began swimming toward the previously indicated hole, with Dark a couple feet behind.

As they reached the end of the tunnel, they found out that it was blocked. As Dark shook his head and prepared to swim back, Link stopped him and motioned to a spot a few feet away from the wall. Pulling out a bomb that appeared to have been eaten by a peculiar fish, Link lit the fuse and dropped it next to the blockage. Rejoining Dark, he mentally laughed at his look of surprise as the wall disappeared in an underwater explosion. Swimming through, Link recognized the new path as the one leading to the Water Temple. He gestured down the path that led out.

--

As the two arrived on dry land and took off their Zora Armour, Link looked wistfully at the portal that floated over them.

"Are you going to stare at the sky all day, or shall we get going?" Link glared over at Dark in annoyance.

"If we're going to go anywhere, you'd better hide in my shadow again. I don't feel like explaining this right now." As Dark obligingly disappeared, Link walked up to Fyer, the owner of the house-cannon, for the second time that day. Falbi said nothing as he took the offered fare from Link, as he was used to the hero appearing from all sorts of unexpected places.

Link's feet had barely touched the ground before he was off again, dodging chickens as he headed for the door to the building that he had landed in. Using the same steady pace that he'd developed while traveling across the fields of Hyrule, he headed back across the Great Hylian Bridge, all the while wishing he could transform back into a wolf, both because it was a faster mode of travel, and because that would have meant that Midna was with him.

As he left the bridge and came within sight-range of where he'd disappeared, a relieved Zelda called out to him.

"Thank the godesses! Did you kill that monster? Where did you go?" An angry snort came from Link's shadow at the word 'monster'. Slowing to a stop next to Epona, Link patted her on the neck before swinging into the saddle.

"Actually, I think I was in an old part of the Water Temple. And yes, I did kill that thing. Wasn't much of a fight." As Link smiled at Zelda he felt a poke in the back, which felt suspiciously like the tip of an arrow. As they started out again, Zelda noticed his much improved mood, but decided not to say anything. The two continued their journey in companionable silence.

_Author's Note- Thanks to KeEsH for leaving a review. If this chapter seems to change in the middle, that's because I had half of it written, and then left it for a long time before writing the other half. When I say a long time, I mean like three or four months. If there's anything that needs to be improved, just say so. Thanks._


	5. Chapter 4: Parting ways

It was well past noon as Link and Zelda stopped at the bridge in South Hyrule Field and prepared to go their separate ways. The wind rustled gently through the trees as they both dismounted, Link's good mood dispelling like smoke as he thought about the inevitable ride back to an empty house.

_'Well, maybe not completely empty'_, Link thought as he remembered the silent hitchhiker hiding in his shadow. Instead of cheering him up as he had hoped, this thought only depressed him further, as he remembered that Midna had used to occupy that space.

"Link!" Zelda looked worriedly at the dejected hero. His much improved mood had sank faster than a lead cuccoo when they had stopped to part ways. "Are you going to be alright on your own?" As he smiled wanly at her, she briefly considered trying to convince him to escort her all the way back to the town, as had been the original plan, instead of him striking for home alone. Alone was the last thing he needed to be right then, as far as she could tell.

"Listen, I'll be all right." Link seemed to read her thoughts as she refocused on him. "I'm just tired is all."

"Okay, then." Zelda quietly sighed as she turned back to her horse and checked the saddle straps absently. Turning back suddenly, she enfolded him in a hug. "Thank you for everything," she whispered in his ear. "You and Midna saved everybody." She pulled back and smiled at him, which he returned sincerely for the first time since leaving the Mirror Chamber. With that, they both mounted their respective rides and went their separate ways, she north toward Castle Town and him south toward Ordon.

Looking down at her shoulder, Zelda saw a dark spot from a single tear. Turning in the saddle, she was just in time to see Link gallop into the woods.

Link's heart suddenly felt like it wanted to drop from his chest as he climbed onto Epona. The need to feel the wind on his face started to grow in him, until he was urging Epona to a full gallop. Entering the tree line, he heard Dark's voice, but didn't bother to slow down enough to hear him. He let the smooth pounding of Epona's hooves and the roaring wind soothe him as he headed home.

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_Nice short little chapter to let you know I haven't died or given up. Sorry it took so long. Had some major writer's block._

_Hope you enjoy._


	6. Chapter 5: Dream or nightmare?

Link squinted against the wind rushing past Epona's head as he rode across the plains. He thought he heard a familiar giggle to his left and, as he reigned in Epona, he caught a glimpse of a shadow disappearing over the hill. He noted with slight uneasiness that he was where the final battle with Ganondorf had taken place. Smoke rose from the castle in the distance, and dust hung in the air, as if he and Ganon had fought only moments ago. He was about to run up the hill where the shadow had went when he heard an unpleasant snicker behind him. Turning around, he saw the evil Gerudo behind him, holding his glowing white wound closed with one hand and reaching toward him with the other. Link pulled the Master Sword before Ganon had time to blink and ran it through his chest...

He was suddenly standing in Zelda's throne room. Ganon lay dead in his beast form, and as he watched, a light seemed to blossom up inside a startled Midna. Particles of the light began to drift to Zelda, who gasped and seemed to regain life as the last of it faded into her. Midna sagged and looked ready to break down as everything returned to normal. "Pr- Princess...I...I..."

"Say nothing, Midna." Link wanted to enfold Midna in his arms as Zelda continued to speak. "Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly. Such suffering you have endured..." As Zelda stepped forward, a sound caused them all to turn toward Ganon's body. A gigantic fireball, with Ganondorf's face on it, was rising from where his body had been. It chuckled evilly as it continued to grow.

Hearing a familiar sound, Link turned to see the pieces of Midna's helmet floating around her, emitting a soft humming sound. He gasped and leapt toward her, knowing it would be too late to stop her.

Instead of being carried off, as he had expected, he froze in midair, his outstretched hand inches away from her. They were back in the Mirror Chamber, and Midna was in her true form. As he hung there, unable to move, the Twilight Princess disappeared, wraith like, into the mirror a second time.


	7. Chapter 6: Home sweet home

A tap on his shoulder woke him from his sleep with a start. Almost falling off Epona, he grabbed the pommel of her saddle as he whirled around to find Dark shaking with silent laughter as he leaned against a tree. Upon being discovered, Dark popped up next to Epona's head, who only snorted in annoyance and looked ahead.

"You get plenty of beauty sleep? I'm surprised you didn't fall off of Epona, with her going so fast." Dark narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Why were you going so fast? I tried to ask you a question when we entered the woods, but you couldn't hear me. Or you ignored me."

Link grinned at that last bit. "Oh, I heard you." As Dark glowered at him, Link looked around for the first time since waking up. Epona had stopped at a rope bridge that crossed a chasm, whose lower depths were lost in mist. Rock walls rose into the mist above them, huge and imposing as they bracketed the narrow path. Link could just make out the entrance to a spring across the bridge. It was the same spring where the whole adventure had started, when Ilia and Colin were kidnapped. Link knew that just a mile or so down the path, his house stood, and Ordon village beyond that.

Link turned to Dark, who had edged onto the bridge and looked into the chasm as Link just drank in all the familiar sights.

"We're almost to my home. You might want to hide again 'till we're actually inside." As Link mounted Epona, Dark just continued to look into the chasm, trying to get a glimpse of the bottom. Link quietly sidled Epona up behind him, and grabbing ahold of his shoulders, gave him a shake. Dark grunted in surprise, and grabbed one of the support ropes in a death grip.

"What the hell! Are you trying to kill me?" Link just gave a toothy grin and pointed a thumb at his shadow.

"Shadow. You. Now." Grumbling, Dark disappeared with a pop. As Link started to guide Epona across the bridge, Dark strolled up beside the horse, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Link just shook his head and continued.

As they started to pass the entrance to the spring, Link decided to stop and allow Epona to drink. Dismounting, he turned her loose and flopped onto the warm sand with a sigh. As Dark explored the nooks and crannies around the water, Link pulled up a reed similar to the one he used to call Epona, and started to play a slightly mournful tune.

The setting sun played orange light across everything as the music wound its way through the spring, silencing the sounds of the forest with its spellbinding beauty. Dark stopped exploring as the music reached him, instead sitting on the sand, dangling his feet in the water and watching the sunset. An undefinable sense of loss stole over everything that heard that melody, and of peace. Link continued to play until the sun had sank below the horizon, and the light was starting to fade away.

"What was that?" Dark thought Link was going to ignore the question at first, as he didn't even glance at him as he got up and went over to Epona.

"It doesn't have a name. Midna taught it to me. I used to play it at the end of every day, after we had made camp." Epona nuzzled Link's hand as he checked her straps prior to mounting. "Let's get home. I'm tired." Dark looked thoughtful as he followed Link out of the spring.

"Who is Midna? I heard Zelda mention her, and you seem to be avoiding the subject." Dark grinned as he looked up at Link in the fading light. "Was she some girl you met? She must be pretty special."

Link looked to be about to say something,sighed, and simply said, "She was." They spent the rest of the short walk to Link's house in silence.

* * *

As they left the mild gloom of the forest behind and entered the moonlit clearing in which Link's house stood, the hero stopped and took in a deep breath of air, savoring the cool night and familiar smells.

The house stood the the left of the path they had emerged from, on the very edge of the clearing. It seemed to be sitting in a large tree at first glance, till Dark looked back in surprise. The house was carved _into_ the tree, with the roof rising from the upper portion of the trunk. The front door was raised off the ground, accessible only by a ladder attached to the trunk. Dark just gaped at the small and unusual structure for a few seconds.

"You live in that!?" Dark looked around the small clearing. "And I thought you said you lived in a village!" Link just smiled indulgently as he led Epona to a sort of outdoors stall and proceeded to unsaddle her. Epona immediately dropped her head and began to crop the lush grass at her feet.

"The village is just down the path. I like my solitude. And this house may not look like much, but its home." So saying, Link turned and started toward the ladder. " You can come inside if you want. Its at least dry, if not huge." Dark hurried after the hero, climbing up and reaching the door just before it closed.

Inside, the house was more spacious than it seemed outside. A fairly large fireplace sat directly across from the door, and was probably a welcome sight when lit. Currently, the only source of illumination was a lantern that Link carried, which caused shadows to leap across the walls until it seemed that they were surrounded by phantasms and stalked by ghouls unseen. As Dark watched this strange lightshow, he glanced over at Link, who was attempting to get a fire started. The light from the lantern left his eyes in shadow, seemed to turn his face into a skull. As the dry wood in the fireplace caught fire, it banished the shadows and replaced them with a warm glow. The confusion resolved itself into a cozy, round room.

Link stared into the fire for a long moment, transfixed by the glowing reds and oranges of the living flames. His face still held that skull-like quality, until Dark cleared his throat quietly. Link jumped a little and looked around, his face becoming normal again as he seemed to forget what he had been contemplating. As he got up and brushed his knees off, Dark inspected the rest of the house. A second room was open to the one they were in, although it only contained a ladder descending into some nether region. A second ladder against the wall, between the door and fireplace, disappeared upwards into the darkness. Link dropped into a padded chair by the fire, sighing as he started to relax. Dark began inspecting the various knickknacks on shelves against the walls.

"Pretty basic for a hero, isn't it?" Dark eyed a simple bobber-style fishing pole that leaned against a wall.

"It may be that, but I like it. What more could I need?" Link sighed in quiet satisfaction as he relaxed for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Dark collapsed bonelessly across the arms of a chair that sat almost dangerously close to the fire, soaking in the soothing heat. The two sat there for a while, each wrapped in his own thoughts.

Later, Link roused himself from his contemplations long enough to get up and stretch, the bones of his back crackling in a rapid-fire series.

"I'm going to bed. You can sleep here, next to the fire. You can use that blanket if you don't mind smelling like horse." Link pointed towards a horse blanket that sat next to Epona's saddle as he said that, then yawned and started towards the ladder set in the wall. As he reached the first small landing, he looked back and grinned as a grumbling Dark spread the blanket on the floor next to the fire and prepared for sleep. Climbing to the loft area where his bed was, he stopped to pull out the two most precious items in his possession, and lay them gently in the drawer of his nightstand. Stopping only long enough now to pull off his scabbard and shield, Link tumbled into bed and slept the sleep of the dead.

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_As always, please leave a review. There is always room for improvement. Thanks._


	8. Chapter 7: Mischief afoot

As the first rays of the sun touched Link's house, Dark awoke. He lay there with closed eyes for several moments, listening for any sounds of activity. Only hearing silence, he risked a quick scan of the room; nothing stirred in the cold early-morning light. Last night's fire had long since burned down to ashes and cooled, leaving a depressing gray mass in the open fireplace. Link's house betrayed the true nature of his lifestyle at that point, showing a person who spent their days isolated from others; a person who didn't seem to belong. All this Dark took in as he prepared for his next move.

Rising to his feet silently, Dark stretched, wincing internally at each loud-seeming crack of a joint. He ghosted over to the ladder leading up towards the loft that Link had disappeared into the night before. Gingerly testing the ladder, he found it more than sturdy enough to hold his weight without creaking. He ascended quickly then, not wanting to risk the hero waking up. Crossing to the second ladder, he was at the top of the loft area in no time.

Proceeding with even more caution than before, he tiptoed towards the bed as he thought of the best place to strike from. Glancing at the sleeping hero, he saw that he was lying on his back, head turned to the side, snoring gently. Finding no better spot, Dark simply stood by the side of the bed as he prepared himself mentally, attempting to stifle a stupid grin long enough to put his plan into motion.

Link was enjoying his dream. Midna was there, in imp form, and she was telling him that she hadn't broken the Mirror. As he just watched the princess' lips move, Link felt a tickle in his ear. Reaching up to slap it, the thought he heard a chuckle. A few seconds later, he felt it again, and then something dripped into his ear.

Dark cackled as he backed away from Link, who had awoken and was thrashing around, trying to fend off the mysterious assault on his ear. As he calmed down and fully awoke, he wiped spittle out of his ear. Dark was bent double with laughter by this point, leaning against the rail that surrounded the loft.

"What the hell? Is this spit?" Link glared at Dark until he calmed down enough to explain.

"Well, you were sleeping so heavily, I figured I would wake you up." Dark grinned anew as he recounted the prank. "So, I drooled in your ear a bit." As Link stood up, Dark gave him some extra room, still smiling. "So, now that you're up, why don't we get something to eat?" As the hero took a step toward Dark, his annoyance dissipated.

"Sure, why not?" He sighed, turning toward his bed, where his sword and shield hung off of a bedpost.

"Excellent. I'll be ready when you are." Dark disappeared with a _pop_. Link wondered what he should think of this strange familiarity as he settled his sword into it's customary place. His thoughts were interrupted though, as his stomach protested it's lack of food with a low rumble. The hero hurried down the ladders as he thought about breakfast.

As Link reached the floor, Dark slouched against the wall. "Do you have no food in this house?! What do you expect us to do, go and hunt for breakfast? On an empty stomach?" Dark grumped and slid a couple inches further down the wall. Link pondered their options for a moment, his brow creasing in concentration. Suddenly, he arrived at a decision, striding toward the door with a slight grin on his face.

"I know where we can get plenty to eat. Of course, it will involve you meeting some new people." Dark looked suspicious about the smile plastered onto the hero's face as he sprinted after Link, catching up with him at the door.

"What kind of people? And why am I allowed to show myself now?" Link's slight grin grew to a full-fledged laugh as he leaped from the top of the ladder leading to his door.

"It's just a couple of old friends. And the reason we're revealing you now is because you won't be able to hide forever, and now is as good as any time. Plus, I'm starving." As if to emphasize his point, Link's stomach growled again. Both of them laughed at that as they strode down the short path to the village.

Red eyes took in the scene from the shadows, as a large form stirred with a growl. The surrounding forest was dead quiet until the silent watcher disappeared, leaving no trace.

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_Leave a review please. I didn't like this chapter as much myself. Felt like I didn't have enough detail. Bleh._


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